Away For Thanksgiving

​As Thanksgiving nears closer, some students who can’t make it home to be with family have decided that they will host a “Friendsgiving” in order to feel that sense of togetherness for the holiday.

Some students, who will experience being away from family on Thanksgiving for the first time, have decided they will attend a Thanksgiving dinner gathering, provided by Point Park's Point Café.

Meanwhile, an alumnus of Point Park has made the decision to invite anyone who may not have a place to go on Thanksgiving, to join her at her home.

Going home on Thanksgiving is ideal for just about everyone who celebrates the American holiday. But, since some students can’t make it home, they have decided to find other ways to compensate for that feeling of togetherness come November 23rd. Whether they are hosting a “Friendsgiving,” joining other’s Thanksgiving feast, or attending a school provided Thanksgiving meal, these students are looking for a way to have an inclusive holiday.

“Nobody wants to feel alone on Thanksgiving. Everyone should have a place to go and a meal to eat,” said Dean of Student Affairs, Michael Gieseke.

Thanksgiving is a day of togetherness for many Americans that wish to celebrate the holiday. It is a day that brings friends and family together around a single dinner table to enjoy each other’s company. Whether it’s the traditional home cooked meals that your family cooks each year, or the opportunity to see a family member you haven’t seen since the year before, the feeling of togetherness on Thanksgiving is not a feeling that is easily mimicable. So when Point Park student, Melissa Barnhill, and her friends realized that they can’t make it home to be with family, they decided to come together and host their own version of Thanksgiving.

“None of us wanted to be alone on Thanksgiving, so we are just going to have a Friendsgiving,” said Barnhill. “We all pitched in for a giant turkey, and will each bring a side dish or dessert.”

The Point Café realizes that not everyone will have a group of friends to spend their day with on Thanksgiving. So, the Café has decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner to bring these students together so that they can spend the day with fellow students that would have otherwise been alone.

“I'm glad that the Café is offering a Thanksgiving dinner,” said Sydney.Janzten. “It doesn’t make up the feeling of being with family, but it is comforting that there will be others there who are in the same boat as I am.”​Student alumnus, Julie Kooser, remembers her freshman year when she did not have anyone to spend her Thanksgiving with. She wants to help prevent that feeling of loss in other students and has decided to invite others in similar situations to her house for a Thanksgiving feast.

“I don’t want anyone to have to spend Thanksgiving Day alone like I did my freshman year," said Kooser. “So, I decided to invite anyone who may have to spend their day alone to come over to join me, my friends and family for dinner on Thanksgiving.”

​So, if you are one of those individuals looking for a place to spend your Thanksgiving, all you have to do is find Kooser, attend the Point Café dinner or gather your friends and host your own Friendsgiving.

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